Charity feature: Five marathons in five days as team run Glasgow to London for the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice
As warm-ups go, four back-to-back marathons might seem ambitious, but that’s exactly what a group of amateur Glasgow runners will undertake in two weeks’ time, taking four days to run from Glasgow to London in time to complete their challenge with their 5th marathon in 5 days at the Virgin Money London Marathon.
Team Cy-Run, as they’re known, formed four years ago to raise money for different charities close to their hearts. They have been supporting the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice for several years and to date have raised over £90,000. Their aim for 2015 is to break the £100,000 barrier to benefit the Brick by Brick Appeal for the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice and provide rooms at the new home in Bellahouston Park in Glasgow.
The group is comprised of 25 fitness enthusiasts from various professions and backgrounds who raise funds and awareness of the Hospice and the move to Bellahoustoun.
Four intrepid members of the team – Stuart Macdonald, Francis Gilroy, Chris Hanlon and Lily Dyu – will run a minimum of a marathon a day for four days, before reaching the capital. They will be on the go for 18 hours a day, travelling an average of a mile every nine minutes in order to complete the 462 mile distance between Glasgow and London. On 26th April, they will be joined by Allan Dickson, David Devine and David Chong to run the London Marathon, completing their challenge of running 488 miles in total.
Also taking part is the Hospice’s rainbow-striped mascot, Harvey the Heart. A veteran of numerous big runs including the 2014 London Marathon, in which Harvey smashed the Guinness World Record for fastest marathon by a mascot in a time of 3h 51mins. Harvey will use the challenge to cement his status as the world’s pre-eminent marathon-running mascot.
Says Cy-Run team member Stuart MacDonald, “Given the scale of the challenge, we’re incredibly excited about Cy-Run 2015. We’ve been fundraising for the Hospice for some time now, but this is the biggest task we’ve ever attempted. The Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice provides an incredible service for individuals and families across the country and we’re delighted to take on 5 marathons in 5 days to raise as much money for the Hospice new state of the art home at Bellahoustoun Park.”
Donate to Team Cy-Run here: Justgiving.com/harveylondonmarathon
Donate via text message: PPWH55 £5 to 70070
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About team Cy-Run
The Team Cy-Run runners will be running from George Square in Glasgow all the way to Westminster in London – all 462 miles of it! Kenny Neison, Alan Dickson and Peter Burns will be assisting on bikes throughout the journey.
The four runners will each run the minimum of a marathon every day for 5 days, and when they reach London there is no time to rest as they will then be joined by David Devine and David Chong to run the Virgin Money London Marathon!
The training regime has taken the team everywhere from Alloa to Inverness and even Tenerife & Barcelona.
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About the Prince of Wales Hospice
The work of the Hospice ensures that 1200 patients a year receive the best quality of life in whatever time remains for them.
It takes the Hospice £3million per year to run, and this money is funded through the generosity of its supporters. The Brick by Brick appeal aims to raise £15million in order to fund the new state of the art development at Bellahouston Park.
This new Hospice will enhance their current services and also allow them to lower their age limit to those aged 15 and above. It will also offer other benefits, such as 16 private ensuite rooms, family accommodation, improved access, increased parking and beautiful garden spaces for patients and families to enjoy.
Find out more at: www.pwh.org.uk
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